


a stranger that i know best

by oh_la_fraise



Series: writing sprints [8]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Cats, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Miscommunication, Sickfic, minor homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:48:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27598480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oh_la_fraise/pseuds/oh_la_fraise
Summary: “So you’re going with a guy whose first interaction with you was unmitigated violence?” Reggie said, frowning.  “Tell me how that’s better than my hiring-an-improv-actor idea?”
Relationships: Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: writing sprints [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1641757
Comments: 55
Kudos: 459





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quick exercise. Title is from 45; we have new Bleacher's music, yay! Work is nuts right now so I can't promise to reply to comments, but they're always so appreciated.

Alex was the rational one in the group. He didn’t jump head first into things like Reggie; he didn’t eagerly embrace stupid ideas like Luke. Julie was his main competitor for the Not a Total Idiot crown, but ever since she and Flynn and Carrie had gotten drunk and prank called the local Papa Johns, Alex was winning. By a razor’s edge, but still. Alex was basking in pride.

. . . Which is why he was _not_ going to give in and snap at Aunt Cathy’s subtle barbs about being gay _and_ single, a double feature of disappointment amongst his conservative, image-heavy family. 

“And I guess we can put Alex at the single’s table,” Aunt Cathy said, fiddling with the ridiculously-complex seating chart for Jenna’s country club wedding next week. “Since he won’t have a date. He can sit next to Anna’s pastor’s daughter Berniece. The one with the lazy eye?”

“Actually, Aunt Cathy, I have a date for the wedding.”

. . .Goddamnit. He’d had the crown for less than two days.

~

“I could do it,” Reggie offered that night, right before somehow shoving half a carton of lo mein in his mouth. “I’b be greaf.”

Alex watched him as he chewed, mouth open, and the worst part was, for a second, he actually _considered_ it. But then Julie shook her head. “You’re a horrible actor. You’d way oversell it, and Alex’s family would end up thinking you were holding him hostage.” 

“That’d be a step up from queer,” Alex joked, only the three of them looked all _sad_ and _pitying,_ and Alex wanted to shove a chopstick into his eye. Instead he shoved a dumpling in his mouth as Julie continued, “maybe you could borrow Luke?”

Luke perked up like an excited puppy, but Alex swallowed the dumpling whole so he could more quickly convey just how bad of an idea that was. “First of all, my sister has known you since we were kids. Just because it’s her wedding doesn’t mean she’s not going to be distracted enough to not question that I’m suddenly head over heels for the guy who I knew during his singing magician phase. Second,” he continued, before Luke could argue, “Julie will also be there, which means that not only would you have to pretend to be in love with me, you’d have to pretend to _not_ be in love with Julie.” Luke slumped back into his seat, defeated. 

“. . .Singing magician phase?” Julie asked, sounding both horrified and a little smitten. God, people in relationships were insufferable. 

~

“Reggie, for the final time, we’re not hiring a prostitute!”

“Hey, I’m saying _you’re_ the Richard Gere in this situation. That’s a compliment!”

~

Alex was steadfastly ignoring the texts piling up asking for the name of his mysterious plus one ( _“We have to finalize the seating chart, Alexander!”),_ when he was forced to look at things from a new perspective. Literally. He hit the ground with a blow that rattled his teeth, and it was only after a few seconds of _huh ow what the fuck ow_ that he realized he’d been bowled over, and whoever had done it was still on top of him. 

“—ted my board,” he heard from above, and Alex rose in fury. Taking out his anger on a douchebag on the street sounded just like what Alex needed, reigning keeper of the brain cell streak or not. “You knocked me _over,”_ Alex started, feeling the rage bubble up, and then the guy took off his helmet and—

Oh. Oh no. Cute. Cute guy. Cute guy in front of Alex—

“Yeah, sorry,” the cute guy said cutely, scrunching his cute nose. “You’re scraped up pretty bad.” He reached out and ran a finger down Alex’s cheek, which Alex supposed was scratched and possibly on fire from the cute guy’s touch. “There’s a coffee shop around the corner I like. Why don’t we head there and I can clean you up.”

“Yes,” Alex was pretty sure he said. That, or have my babies. Tomato, tomahto. 

~

Cute guy, whose given name was apparently Willie, not only gently cleaned Alex’s scrape like he was the hero of one of Reggie’s romance novels, but he also bought Alex a coffee, and a muffin to split, which meant that their hands kept bumping chastely on the table. It was the most erotic experience of Alex’s life. 

“—and their latest plan is for me to hire the sad guy who takes pictures with tourists outside of our apartment in his weird knock off Yogi costume, which, just, no.” Alex wasn’t sure why he was telling Willie this, except WIllie’s laugh sounded like angels singing, and the sharpness of his cheekbones had completely severed Alex’s brain to mouth filter. “That’s more humiliating than having to confess to my entire family that I lied about having a date.”

Willie stopped laughing and pursed his lips, and Alex’s heart tried to jump out of his chest, Alien style. “I’m free next weekend,” Willie said slowly, “and I definitely owe you one.”

~

“So you’re going with a guy whose first interaction with you was unmitigated violence?” Reggie said, frowning. “Tell me how that’s better than my hiring-an-improv-actor idea?”

 _Because even though I’ve known him for less than a day, I’d trust Willie with my life,_ Alex wanted to say. But that was. A Lot, and also the kind of thing he and Reggie made fun of Julie and Luke endlessly for. “His bicep was the size of my head,” Alex said instead. Same thing, really. 

~

“How do I look?” Willie asked, opening the door to let Alex into his apartment. He was in a fitted suit, and his hair was pulled back into a neat bun, and Alex could see the adam’s apple bobbing in his throat, and—

“Um, good,” Alex said, trying not to faint like a Victorian maiden. 

“You look good too,” Willie said, _smiling, with those cheekbones—_

“I need some air,” Alex said, running for the car so fast he probably left a Road Runner cloud of dust. 

~

The wedding was beautiful, as Alex knew it would be. Even with all of the family drama, Jenna was still his baby sister, and Eric was a good guy. If Alex cried a little during the ceremony, Willie didn’t say anything, but at one point, he settled his arm over Alex’s shoulder, pulling him into Willie’s chest. Willie smelled like sunshine and firewood and Alex wanted to keep that scent for forever. 

~

“C’mon,” Willie said later, holding out a hand. “Can’t sell it if we don’t dance.”

“Thanks again,” Alex said quietly, barely alive from Willie’s head hooked over Alex’s shoulder. “You definitely made up for knocking me over.” 

“Yeah,” Willie hummed, pulling his head back to look Alex in the eyes. He was smiling, a little, eyes sparkling. “In fact, I’d say you owe _me_ now. Both of your grandmothers have hit on me tonight.” 

“What?” Alex asked, taking a second to register what Willie had said. His eyes were _so_ pretty. 

“Yeah. I need a date for a holiday party in a few weeks. You interested?”  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just playing around with this universe a little bit more as a break from *gestures at everything* Inspired by this [picture.](https://lovethephantoms.tumblr.com/post/634053570943172608/booboo-stewart-by-doug-inglish)

The sun was shining, the birds were singing, Alex had kicked his anxiety in the—

“—hey Alex, look at the model in this cologne ad!” Flynn said, waving a magazine in his general direction. “He looks just like Willie!”

Alex squinted, looking at the picture. Yes, the model had very luscious, flowing hair just like Willie, and yes, his pecs were bigger than most girls’ boobs, and Willie was handsome enough to  _ be  _ a model, but that didn’t mean—

There was a tattoo on the model’s wrist. He and Willie had only been . . .  _ dating I guess I mean I think he likes me he bought me flowers stop laughing Julie  _ . . . officially involved for the two weeks since Jenna’s wedding. But they were taking things slow, and the only skin Alex had seen was a flash when Willie’s shirt rode up grabbing a frisbee out of a tree. He now fully understood why people had been so obsessed with Victorian ankles. So, yeah, he’d been paying a lot of attention to that very tattoo the last two weeks.

“. . .It’s not Willie, right?” Flynn asked, growing a little more serious as she realized Alex was entering an anxiety spiral. “He’d have told you he was a model.”

. . .Goddamnit. 

~

“You said you were a freelance artist!” Alex did not squeak. Willie looked unbothered, rubbing some sort of cleaning gunk on his board, but his shoulders were high around his ears. “Modeling is a type of art. And I  _ am _ a freelancer; I had a bad experience with an agency so I rep myself.” 

“I just wish you’d told me,” Alex said, trying to figure out how to convey the growing pit of dread in his stomach. 

“I didn’t think it would matter,” Willie said, and oh. Wow. That sucked.

“I have to go,” Alex babbled, and he didn’t bother to look back as he fled with his tail tucked between his legs.

~

“And then you just ran away?”

“He said he didn’t think it would  _ matter,  _ you guys! Clearly he meant because we wouldn’t be serious enough for it to make a difference.”

“Okay, that sounds wrong on several levels,” Reggie said, gesturing to where Alex was circling in front of him. “You two are perfect for each other. You even already have your model strut down.”

Alex spun to where Luke and Reggie were watching, concerned, as Alex wondered if he paced enough, he could open a hole in the ground that would swallow him. “Guys, he is a  _ literal  _ model.” They continued staring blankly, and Alex sighed. “I’m just a dead end office drone who plays in a band on the weekend. He parties with celebrities. The most exciting non-Phantom thing I’ve done in the past six months was have a root canal. I own a  _ Corolla _ . What the hell could I offer him?”

“Well, you passed off a guy you’d just met as your one true love at a family wedding,” Reggie said. “I’d say that’s pretty exciting.  _ Ow.” _

Luke pulled his elbow back from Reggie’s stomach. “Look, dude, you’re the sickest drummer I’ve ever met. Anybody would be lucky to be with you. You put Ringo to shame.”

“And you’re a good person who cares about his friends,” Reggie added. “You know, things like that.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, you’re a real peach. What I’m saying  _ is,  _ you’re better than any party with celebrities, and if Willie can’t see that, then fuck him.”

“Metaphorically speaking, of course,” Reggie continued. “Although, I gotta say, well done Alex.” Reggie turned to Luke. “Do you think there are more pictures of Alex’s half-naked boyfriend on the internet?”

Luke jumped up, pulling Reggie behind him. “Oh my god, I have his work calendar. We can text him the steamiest ones when he’s in a meeting. Go talk to Willie!” Luke added, disappearing out of Alex’s room.

Alex sighed and pulled out his phone.  _ One New Message. _

_ Guy that Ran Me Over:  _ Can we talk?

~

It was awkward when he and Willie settled next to each other on the park bench, and Alex wanted to  _ scream.  _ Even when Willie’s sheer attractiveness had practically given Alex a stroke, things had never felt awkward between them. He waited for Willie to start, and Willie was apparently waiting for Alex, because they lapsed into uncomfortable silence. 

Finally, Alex couldn’t take it any longer. He was going to tell Willie that Alex deserved someone serious, and it was going to be articulate and well put.

“I’m Ringo!” is what came out instead. 

Willie, who had also started talking, fell silent, staring at Alex in concern. 

“I just meant; okay, I know you said this,  _ us,  _ wasn’t big enough to actually affect your life, but I deserve someone who isn’t embarrassed by me, and—”

“Woah, woah,” Willie said, throwing up his hands. He looked even more concerned now. “What are you talking about, Alex? Why would I be embarrassed by you?”

“You know, because you said it wouldn’t matter. And look, I know I’m not anywhere as cool as the people you probably hang out with—”

Willie held up his hands again. “Okay, stop talking please. Take a deep breath so you can focus on what I’m actually saying. I said I didn’t think my job would matter because I didn’t think it would matter  _ to you.  _ I’ve dated some people in the past who were just using me, and I didn’t think you were like that, but then you freaked out.”

Alex followed Willie’s advice; four in, five out. Four in, five out. After his beating heart had slowed a little, he said, “I don’t care. I like you because you indulged my ridiculous pretend boyfriend plan, and because you text me at night to ask about my day, and because you watched Homecoming just because I asked you too. I just don’t do well with surprises, and seeing your boyfriend in a magazine during a midnight sunglasses run is a  _ big surprise. _ ”

“Boyfriend, huh?” Willie said, raising an eyebrow. Alex felt his face catch fire, and Willie laughed, putting his arms around Alex and pulling him into a hug. “How about this: I promise to try to be upfront about things, if you promise to try to talk to me before going on a full anxiety meltdown. Deal?”   


“Deal,” Alex muttered, still embarrassed, into the collar of Willie’s sweatshirt. He smelled really good; Alex wondered if he was wearing the cologne from the ad. 

Willie ran a hand through his hair. “Now what’s this about midnight sunglasses?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick little fluffy thing to take a break from the rubato angst. CW for non-graphic vomiting.

Things with Alex were good, Willie kept telling himself.He was sweet, and hilarious, and easy on the eyes.There was nothing to be worried about.But Willie had said that in past relationships, had said that when signing a contract with Covington management, and then Willie had relaxed and been an imperfect human who got mad and had horrible taste movies and didn’t like to stay out late, and been dropped like a hot potato. It didn’t matter that Alex always asked about his day, or was open about his anxiety, or had obviously almost said _I love you_ to Willie half a dozen times.Caleb and the others had been nice too, and Willie had still gotten burned in the end.

All he had to do was keep this thing with Alex light and shallow, and then it wouldn’t hurt so bad when Alex inevitably ran for the hills.

~

Willie woke up feeling like he’d got by truck. 

He was _freezing,_ and it felt like someone was driving a stake into his head.Was he a vampire, and someone was trying to kill him?Or was it zombies you killed by staking them?He felt dead either way.

He was distracted from that train of thought by the sudden nausea rising in his gut.He stumbled to the bathroom, and mostly made it to the toilet before throwing up.Several painful moments later, he blearily swished some water in his mouth, fumbling for his phone.There was nothing work-colored on his calendar for the day; there was something in the social calendar later that night, but it was probably a networking thing.Willie had to force himself to go to those when he wasn’t feeling like he’d been dumped inside a blender. 

He stumbled back to bed, ignoring the mess in the bathroom, and fell back asleep.

~

Something was buzzing, and thumping, and he loved Alex’s band, he really did, but this set was _not good—_

Willie opened his eyes and promptly shut them again, head still spinning.Trying again, much more slowly this time, he realized the buzzing was his phone, ringing so hard it was about to fall off his nightstand.The thumping was coming from the kitchen area of his apartment—oh, the front door, probably.

He slid out of the bed, wobbling in that direction.Maybe his Mom’s _Mom senses_ were tingling, and she’d brought him soup. 

Instead there was Alex, looking angry.Willie frowned.Alex was his boyfriend and Alex was angry and if Alex was angry then he might not be Willie’s boyfriend anymore—

“—an hour ago,” Angry Alex was saying.“I’ve been calling—Jesus, Willie, are you okay?”

Angry Alex was now sounding like Worried Alex, and that wasn’t any better.So Willie leaned in to kiss him, only his equilibrium was off, so he kind of ended up collapsing against Alex.It was nice there, though; he couldn’t smell Alex’s soft honey scent because his head was so congested, but he could imagine it, and it was almost as good as the real thing. 

“Okay,” Alex said, only now he was Soft Alex, “let’s get you to bed.”

~

Willie would have gone back to sleep, but—Alex had left.He’d tucked Willie in, and told him not to move, and then Alex had _left._ So now Willie was sick _and_ he had no boyfriend.That wasn’t fair.

Days later—or, okay, maybe only an hour, _fine—_ Alex returned.“How does an independent adult man not have a single painkiller or drink that isn’t blue,” he said, frowning, and Willie giggled, because frowny Alex looked like a muppet.“Here, take this,” Alex said, putting some pill on Willie’s tongue.Willie wiggled his eyebrows, but Alex just rolled his eyes.“Drink some water.” 

After he was done, Alex put the glass down and sat down on the other side of the bed.Willie immediately turned and buried his head in Alex’s side. 

This time, Willie fell asleep quickly. 

~

He was throwing up again, and being sick sucked, but.This time, there was someone holding his hair for him and rubbing his back.That part was nice.

~

At one point, Wille could swear Elvis was in his room, serenading him. _Darling, so it goes,_ Elvis sang as he ran his fingers through Willie’s hair. _Some things are meant to be._

_~_

Alex was getting up, and Alex was going to leave, and Willie would be all alone—

He clung to Alex tighter.“Don’t leave.”

“Willie, I gotta pee.”

“Don’t leave me,” he begged. 

“I’m not—”Alex sighed.“Okay.”

_~_

The next time he woke, sunlight was filtering through the window.Willie was covered in stale sweat, and something had died in his mouth, but the fog in his brain had melted away a little. Alex was snoring softly beside him, still sitting up in the bed.He was swimming in one of Willie’s baggy t-shirts and puppy dog boxers that had to be a gift from Reggie.Willie could see the faded white scar on his thigh peaking out of the hem; Alex had admitted once, blushing into his cup of coffee, that Luke had convinced him three ten year olds could totally build a treehouse without any adult help. 

He leaned over and kissed it, and Alex jolted awake.“Wazz’it?” he mumbled blearily, blinking rapidly.“Shit, I feel asleep.How are you feeling?”

“Better,”Willie said.“Have you been here all night?”

The tips of Alex’s ears turned red.“Is that okay?”

“Couldn’t have been much fun for you.”

Alex shrugged easily, anxiety on his face melting away.“You promised me a date night.I came to collect.”

Alex was smiling softly, now, and Willie’s heart was doing summersaults, and—

“I need to take a shower,” Willie said, scrambling to get out of bed and away from these decidedly not light and shallow feelings.

He was so out of breath by the time he shut the bathroom door that it took him a minute to realize the mess from earlier was gone, and that the bathroom smelled faintly like lemon.He didn’t shower for long—he was still too tired to be out of bed for more than a few minutes—but long enough to get the sweat off and come to a decision.Alex had cleaned his puke; Willie could be brave for Alex.

When he got out of the shower, Alex had laid out clean clothes for him, and was changing the sheets.

“I love you,” Willie said. 

Alex smiled—the small, timid one that was Willie’s favorite, and Willie couldn’t help but lean in and kiss him.And unlike the night before, this time, he hit his target.

“I love you too,” Alex said.“But, um.Did you brush your teeth. . . ?”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy v day everyone! just a quick little thing; i can’t quite seem to close the book on this verse. fun fact: the v in valentine’s stands for laVish willie with affection. 

“I can’t just _take him to dinner,_ Julie.” Alex was pacing, he knew he was, but he needed to convey _just_ how important this was. “This is our first Valentines as a couple, and Willie’s had a lot of really bad relationships. I want to show him how much I care about him!”

“And,” Luke coughed pointedly. 

“ _Anddd,”_ Alex muttered, “he _might_ have implied that, as fantastic as a boyfriend I am, I’m not the most. . .romantic.”

“ _There_ it is,” Luke laughed. “You’re _not_ romantic.”

“Thus my dilemma.” 

“Alex,” Julie said. “Willie is going to like whatever you get him, because he loves _you._ ” 

Julie was his only friend now. “But I do want him to feel special and loved. I just . . .can’t figure out how to do that.”

She shrugged. “Luke wrote me a song on our six month anniversary, and it’s the best gift I’ve ever gotten. Maybe you could write him something?” 

“Alex!” Reggie shouted, swearing as he kicked his way to the living room, “why is our hallway covered in red paper triangles?”

Julie raised an eyebrow. Alex sighed. “They were supposed to be hearts.”

~

 _You’re really pretty._ What rhymed with pretty? Shitty was the first thing that came to mind, which even Alex knew wasn’t a great fit. _You’re from the city._

Good enough.

~

“Well?” Alex said, poking the pan. Was bread supposed to jiggle like that?

Reggie, who Alex had once seen drop a slice of pizza in the street and pick it up like nothing had happened, was turning green. “It’s definitely something that is aspiring to be food.”

Alex sighed. “Well, hopefully the sushi turned out better.”

Reggie let out a sound that could best be described as a whimper. “Next time I agree to a bet with Luke where if I lose I have to do anything he asks, punch me in the face. It would be easier than this.”

~

_For you I have so much attraction, it’s like I’m having an allergic reaction._

That worked. And it was true, too. Every time Willie smiled at him, Alex felt like he’d licked a peanut.

~

The plate he was painting at the pottery studio was going well, Alex thought. He’d painted Willie’s skateboard, and—

“Wow, Alex, I never pegged you as the hand painted erotica type,” Flynn said casually, painting a daisy on her mug.

“What?” he asked. 

She looked at him pityingly. “Oh sweetheart,” she said, tracing the line where the skateboard’s brown underbelly emerged from the plate, all the way to where the wheels were. Sure, they’d blended together a little, and it kind of looked like a mushroom. . .

He slammed his head on the table, and Carrie cackled across from him.

~

_You’re a sk8ter boi; I won’t say see you later boi._

~

Wax was _not_ meant to go on that part of the body, he had a weird rash now, and _tony hawk + slutty + costume_ was somehow the only internet search that _didn’t_ bring up sexy results. 

~

“Alex,” Julie said, wincing. “I know I said to write a song, but it’s—”

“A train wreck,” Luke finished. Julie slapped him on the arm. “What? Alex, I love you buddy, but you rhymed snare and hair care. And speaking of snares? It’s hard to hear a sappy acoustic love song when it’s being smothered underneath a cymbal. Your drum solos are kick ass, you know that, but they’re not exactly romantic.”

Julie winced, and that’s how Alex knew that Luke was right. 

“So I have nothing,” Alex said.

“You could always just take him to dinner,” Luke said. Julie slapped him again.

Yeah, she was still the only friend he actually liked. 

~

Willie was in just a tank top and some _very_ tight jeans when Alex arrived at his apartment, and Alex couldn’t even appreciate it, because all he’d wanted to do was show Willie how much Alex loved him and how amazing he was, only all Alex had was a bouquet that was mostly baby’s breath and a bag of Raisinets. They weren’t even _Valentine_ Raisinets, because of course all the Valentine’s candy at CVS was gone, and no one probably made Valentine Raisinets anyway because Willie was the only freak on Earth who liked them.

God, Alex loved him so much.

“Hi,” Willie said, smiling, once they’d kissed and Alex had shrugged off his coat. “Those for me?” he asked, nodding at the bouquet.

Alex deflated again. “Willie, I”m so, _so sorry._ I swear I didn’t forget about Valentine’s day—I’ve been trying to figure out what to get you for weeks—but I came up short and I’m so sorry and you deserve better and—”

“Alex,” Willie said, shoving a finger against his lips. Alex stopped talking. “Luke brought something by earlier. He and Reggie and Julie made it.” 

He grabbed something on the table, handing it gently to Alex. Alex blinked. It was a scrapbook, _Alex’s Valentine’s Plans_ written on the cover in Julie’s loopy script. He flipped it open—there were a few of his attempts at origami hearts splashed on the pages, and pictures of the meal he’d tried to cook, and even the unfortunately-phallic skateboard plate. Interspersed were blocks of text, not just in Julie’s handwriting but Reggie’s blocky text and Luke’s horrible chicken scratch. _“Willie looked so pretty today I almost died,” —Alex, November 18th. “Did you guys know Willie loves opera? He’s so smart.” —Alex, January 5th. “I’m not crying, I’m just thinking about Willie’s smile.” —Alex, crying, December 9th._

And on the last page, the lyrics to _Willie You be my Valentine?_ in all of their glory. 

He was going to murder them. “I’m going to murder them,” Alex said, face flaming as he shoved the book away. 

“Alex,” Willie said, taking a step closer. “I’ve had dates in hot air balloons. I once had someone serenade me on a gondola in Venice. Did you know I once had a private meal cooked by José Andrés?” 

“Is this. . .supposed to be making me feel worse?” Alex said.

“No,” Willie said, circling his arms around Alex’s hips and drawing him in close. “Because all of those grand gestures—they were empty, thoughtless. Those people did those things because they had money and they could, not because they cared about me—the _real_ me. I don’t need big romantic gestures. I need someone who sends me cute cat videos when I’m sad, someone who buys me milk without being asked because they saw I was running low, who knows that even though I say _Godfather_ is my favorite movie, my real favorite is _27 Dresses._ Do you know who does those things?”

“Your landlord?” Alex asked, because their dynamic always involved a little snark. Willie was doing the smile Alex definitely _hadn’t_ cried about, the one that went across his whole face, that caused little crinkles next to his eyes.

“Try again,” Willie said, and closed his eyes and leaned up for a kiss. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i too am a degenerate raisinet lover, so don't come for me lol


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No new rubato chapter today; the weekend was _nuts_ and I am absolutely beat, but I feel bad, so have whatever this is as an apology gift.

“I did something stupid,” Alex says miserably when Willie enters the apartment. Willie doesn’t panic. Partially because Alex’s bar for what he considers stupid is incredibly low: he probably put a pair of dark socks in with a load of towels in the washing machine, or accidentally bought the sweetened soy milk instead of the unsweetened Willie likes. But Willie also doesn’t panic because he _knows_ Alex. In his previous relationships, when someone had said _I did something stupid,_ it usually preceded Willie finding out he’d been cheated on, or someone had stolen money from him, or, on one memorable occasion, come home to find all of his furniture gone. _I did something stupid_ would normally have sent Willie running toward the hills, except Alex routinely puts socks on Willie’s feet in the middle of the night when it’s cold outside. He trusts Alex. Whatever it is Alex has done, they’ll be okay.

So Willie just stands there, raising an eyebrow curiously, as Alex fidgets and wrings his hands and looks at the floor. “It’s just,” Alex starts all at once, “it’s raining _so hard_ outside, and it was so cold—”

He trails off, and, ever so faintly in the ensuing silence, Willie hears a faint _mew._

Alex, somehow, turns even redder in the face. “Uh.”

Willie strips off his raincoat—Alex was right; it’s pouring—and practically sprints past Alex into the living room, where he spots a discarded Amazon box lying on the floor, Willie’s rickety old space heater aimed at it from a safe distance. He peers inside, and, on top of Alex’s prized pink Champion hoodie that he's never let even Willie borrow, are two very small balls of fluff. One is solid grey, and the other is also grey but with darker stripes running through its fur. They’re curled into each other, seemingly asleep, but as Willie hovers over them the striped one stretches and yawns, blinking up at Willie blearily. It’s the cutest thing Willie has ever seen.

Scratch that. The dopey look on Alex’s face as he stares down into the box— _that’s_ the cutest thing Willie has ever seen. But the kittens are a close second.

“I’m sorry I brought them here,” Alex says quietly, sticking a single finger down into the box. The striped one swipes at it while the grey one snoozes on. “My building is no pets, and I’m already on my landlord’s shit list because my supposedly ‘sound-proofed’ apartment apparently can’t handle a few mid-day band practices.” Alex is rambling, which means he’s nervous, which Willie can’t tolerate. 

“Alex, it’s fine,” Willie reassures. “They’re adorable.”

“Thanks, Willie,” Alex says, smiling, as his shoulders finally climb down from his ears. “I’ll call around tomorrow, see if I can find a no-kill shelter to take them in.”

Willie blinks, surprised. “You don’t want to keep them?” Based on the way Alex is acting toward them, Willie figured Alex had already planned their holiday card photo shoot by now. 

Alex looks at him sadly. “No pets in my building, remember? And I couldn’t just leave them here for you to take care of by yourself. That wouldn’t be fair to you.”

Willie pauses, taking a deep breath. He’d been thinking about this for a while, but—”So stay with them.”

“For a few days, sure. But I’d have to go home eventually.”

“Do you?” Alex stares blankly, and Willie swallows, forcing himself to spit it out already. “Stay here. Move in with me. You’re here all the time anyway.”

He stops, feeling nervous as he waits for a reply, but it instantly fades as Alex’s face breaks out into a wide grin. “Yeah? You sure?”

“Never been more sure of anything,” Willie says, and he means it. 

Alex’s grin, somehow, grows bigger. “Okay,” he says, giggling like a child. 

Willie feels like his heart is going to beat out of his chest, he’s so happy. He scoots over until he’s pressed up against Alex’s back. Pressing a kiss to Alex’s cheek, he hooks his head over Alex’s shoulder, staring down into the box. The solid grey one has woken up, and now the kittens are wrestling with each other, flopping around on the hoodie. “We’ll have to give them names.”

Willie can feel the heat rising in Alex’s cheeks. “I, um, kind of already named them? The solid one’s Simon, and the other one is Garfunkel.” 

“Naming our children without me?” Willie teases, just to see Alex blush harder. “Alexander, that’s shameful.” He squints. “But, um, Garfunkel is definitely a girl.”

Alex laughs. “She’s butch,” he says. “Stop enforcing gender norms on our children, _William._ ”

Willie can feel himself blushing in return, but—Alex talking about children is nice. God, Willie loves this man to pieces. He takes the hand he’s not leaning on and laces it with Alex’s. They sit in silence, watching the cats play as rain patters on the window.

(. . .One of the cats has clearly peed on the hoodie, but Willie doesn’t point it out quite yet. He’s going to enjoy this moment of peace while he can.)


End file.
